Pendant la deluge...

The north midlands are suffering a biblical downpour....rain and more rain since first thing this morning and plenty more to come.  I have had to cancel yet another golf match set for this evening.  I had 3 to play before 23rd and 30th July and, despite arranging nice early dates for all of them, haven't managed to play a single fixture so will end up playing them all in a rush at the end (and probably in the rain too!).  It's most annoying as I'm desperate to play at the moment while I'm still in the first flush of love with my new-to-me Ping driver.

At the moment it is the answer to my golfing prayers and I really want to make hay while the sun is shining - metaphorically of course - but am being thwarted.  Grrrr  Richard has warned me about falling in love with a golf club.  He says that they all behave wonderfully while they are on approval but, as soon as you actually pay for the club, it turns on you and that is that.  He may be right but I hope not!

The rain falls and the overgrown front garden gets wetter and wetter.  I have the front door open while I'm working from home so the dogs can come and go (not that they're at all interested in venturing outside).  I have taken to monitoring the level of the water running down the front path and wondering whether sandbags will be needed.  I think not, fortunately, as the last deluge pushed so much gravel and stuff down the street that this has diverted the water from coming down the front path. 

What a nightmare in July!!  I feel so sorry for people who have organised events which will be rained off or businesses who need a good summer to keep them going through the winter.  It is just wretched.  But, that is enough whingeing; it is what it is and we have to make the most of it.

So, instead of focussing on the grey gloom of today, I thought I'd post some photos of the Red Arrows.  They are truly wonderful to watch.  So precise and exciting.  It's shame there are only 7 of them now.  2 tragic deaths and then the first ever female pilot had to withdraw for personal reasons.  She is from my village originally - I knew her as a child - so I feel desperately sad for her.  But, even with 7 instead of 9 it is a great display.  I wonder how long the team will continue to fly in these days of massive defence cuts?  I would miss them.

No planes were harmed in the making of this blog.